Shoe-lace fastener



(No Model.)

K. BURGIN. SHOE LAGE FASTENBR.

No. 544,349. Patgnted Aug. 13, 1895.

- as the shoe itself forms no part of my invention.

' tudinal central sectional view of the improve- UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

KATE BURGIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE-LACE FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,349, dated August 13, 1895.

' Application filed liliay 24, 1894. Serial No. 512,353. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, KATE BURGIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lace Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a shoe-lace fastener; and, broadly stated, it consists in providing a lace at its ends with tips or devices adapted to engage each other, and one tip adapted to take through one or both of the loops or other part of the tie, so as to prevent the tie from becoming unfastened.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure l is a perspective view of alow shoe with a lace carrying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improvements attached to the ends of a lace and illustrated in the act of engaging each other. Fig. 3 is a longiments, illustrating the same applied to alace and taking through both loops of the tie; and Fig. 4: is a side View of a modification with the laces partly broken away and the female tip partly in section.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates a low shoe, although it may be a high shoe and of any suitable make or character,

tion, but is here shown for the purpose of illustrating my improvements.

B indicates alace, which may be fiat, round,- or of other suitable configuration in cross-section, as this also forms no part of my inven- The lace is provided at one end with a female or socket tip a and at the opposite end with a male tip I). The female tip may be provided with an internal screw-thread c or it may have an internal shoulder c or other suitable means for engaging the male tip when inserted, as I do not wish to confine myself to any special means for accomplishing this object, it being simply necessary to so construct the tip a that it will hold the tip 5 when brought into engagement and prevent the two tips from accidental or causal disconnection. When the socket or female tip is screwtapped or internally threaded, the opposite or male tip I) should be externally threaded at a suitable point in its length, as shown at d, and when the shoulder is provided in the female member the male member 19 should be provided at a suitable point in its length with a depression or annular groove d. It is desirable in using a construction such as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to split the female tip, as shown at e, so that it will give sufficiently as the male tip is inserted and withdrawn, and will have sufficient resiliency to clamp the male tip and hold the same.

In using a construction employing the screwtlireaded connection it will, of course, be necessary to turn one of the tips in uniting them, and as this turning of the tip would tend to twist at least one branch of the lace a'loose joint or swivel might be provided, as shown at f, comprising, in addition to the'threaded tip 19, a short section g, having at its outer end ya head to engage a flange on theinner end of the part 1). While I have here shown a come mon coupling to permit one part to be turned without turning the other, yet I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to such construction, as anyjoint might be employed, according to the fancy or dictationrof the mechanic or manufacturer, and I therefore reserve the right to make any coupling which will overcome the objection mentioned, as I am aware that many modifications can be employed for accomplishing the object without departing from the gist of the invention. The ends of the lace may be secured to the tips in any suitable manner. They can form a permanent part of the lace or they can be provided with slots 2', as better shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so as to permit them to be taken oft of one lace and placed on another by simply passing a thread or the like through the slots and into the lace, such as by sewing.

The male tip is pointed at its free end, as shown at It, so as to permit it to be passed through the loops 70 of the lace when tied, or it may be passed through any suitable part of the lace which will prevent the tie from becoming undone.

In practice I prefer to pass the pointed tip cheaply manufactured.

through both loops of the tie, as better shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, but I do not wish to confine myself to this particular manner of use.

A device of this character can be very It can be applied to the ends of the lace by the manufacturer of laces. It will add but a comparatively small expense to the articles, in view of the fact that the metallic tips which are now so commonly used are omitted, and it will serve very effectively in retaining the tie and also holding the ends of the lace in aneat and convenient manner.

IVhile I have described very specifically and in detail the several parts in the precise construction shown, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction and manner of connecting the tips or fastening them to the lace ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 35 in presence of two witnesses.

KATE BURGIN. Witnesses:

WM. TALBOT COTTIER, E. C. FOWLER. 

